Lahore Qalandars' nosedive puts Afridi's captaincy on the line
Cricket
A host of factors led to the team's debacle
By Anees-ur-Rehman
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) concluded with Islamabad United emerging as the winner of season nine. United set the record by clinching the trophy for the third time after achieving the feats in 2016 and 2018.
The PSL 9 season turns out to be a rollercoaster ride for Lahore Qalandars. The defending champions found themselves plummeting to the bottom of the table after putting up a disappointing show, leaving the fans in disbelief.
Despite the comfort of their home turf at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the Qalandars failed to put up a good show. Instead, they stumbled through the tournament and secured just one victory in 10 games. They tasted the only victory after losing six matches on the trot.
Led by left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, Lahore's squad failed to live up to expectations, raising questions about what went wrong for a team that once dominated the league for two years.
As the tournament progressed, the reasons behind Lahore's dismal performance became clearer. A lack of cohesion within the team, tactical errors on the field and other factors contributed to their downfall.
Let’s have a look at the key points that led to the dismal performance of the defending champions.
Inconsistent team combination
One of the main factors that contributed to the defeats of Lahore Qalandars was inconsistent team selection.
The frequent changes to the squad highlighted Qalandars' struggle to find cohesion and establish a settled lineup. They failed to bring balance to the team.
Players like Shai Hope and Abdullah Shafique are capable of demonstrating their skills at the top of the order and could potentially offer a solution to Lahore's batting woes.
Poor captaincy by Shaheen Afridi
Lahore Qalandars’ poor run at the PSL 9 has put a question mark on the captaincy of Shaheen Afridi.
Afridi’s decision-making has come under scrutiny, with questionable bowling changes and frequent reshuffle in the batting order.
For instance, Afridi deployed Zaman Khan, typically effective in the death overs, with the new ball, resulting in below-par performances.
In a crucial encounter against Karachi Kings, players like Sikandar Raza were left unused in the bowling lineup, while Ahsan Hafeez was entrusted with the final over, leading to Lahore’s narrow defeat.
The mismanagement of resources including Carlos Brathwaite and Sikandar Raza further exposed the shortcomings in Afridi’s leadership skills.
Batting woes
Although top order batsmen Sahibzada Farhan and Rassie van der Dussen performed well in the tournament, the real problem was the lacklustre form of opener Fakhar Zaman, which compelled the team management to rotate the other batsmen.
Abdullah Shafique, Sikandar Raza, Ahsan Hafeez, Shai Hope, and Kamran Ghulam were shuffled around in the batting order in an attempt to find a winning formula.
Abdullah Shafique, a stalwart from the previous season, was surprisingly dropped after just two games this year. Sikandar Raza, despite his stellar form in ILT20, struggled to have a defined role.
Below-par bowling
In previous editions of the PSL, Qalandars were known for their formidable bowling lineup. However, in this season, their bowling unit failed to live up to the reputation and put extra pressure on their batters.
The star-studded bowling lineup featuring Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, David Weise, and Sikandar Raza failed to make a mark this year.
However, David Weise's absence due to injury and Haris Rauf's mid-season injury added to the bowling woes.
Captain Shaheen Afridi remained the top wicket-taker with 14 scalps.
Absence of Rashid Khan
The absence of Rashid Khan, the Afghan sensation and one of the best bowlers in the world, hit Qalandars hard.
Known for his dominance in T20 cricket, Rashid's absence in PSL 9 due to injury left Lahore Qalandars clueless.
In the previous two seasons, Rashid's remarkable performance earned him 31 wickets in 19 matches. His ability to take wickets consistently while maintaining a tight economy rate had been missed by Qalandars this season.
In Rashid's absence, Qalandars find themselves struggling, particularly in the spin department. Reliance on spinners like Ahsan Hafeez and young Salman Fayyaz failed to yield the desired results.
